Key West 2012 Kicks Off For The Melges 24s

Today, the twenty-fifth running of Key West Race Week is realized. The venue is expected to live up to its reputation with stunning conditions in the forecast for the Melges 24 fleet, which will be featured on the Division 2 racecourse. Only 15 Melges 24s are in attendance. It's quality versus quantity as once more, the Melges 24 fleet has attracted some of the very best sailors and owners in the world to Florida.

Clearly, there are frontrunners, 2011 U.S. Melges 24 National Champion Bora Gulari on West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes, 2010 National Champion Alan Field on WTF, multi-Corinthian Key West Champion Bruce Ayres on Monsoon, Don Wilson's Convexity and Guy Mossman's Battle Rhythm are among the higher-up American contingent.

Defending Melges 24 Key West Champion and 2011 Boat of the Week winner, Franco Rossini's Blu Moon is back, locked and loaded, ready to pull the trigger on another title. He is no stranger to the tough competition yet to come and, most likely, poised to win.

The class would like to take the opportunity to welcome some new faces to the fleet. Congratulations to Kurt Winkelmann, owner of brand new USA-829 Navega Racing. He carries the legendary Brad Boston as tactician.

After an almost ten-year Melges 24 hiatus, Richard Thompson and his Black Seal team, which includes his long-time friend and tactician Nigel Young, is roaring back onto the scene in Key West with a boat of the same name. We look to see great things from Thompson and team, as they have previously celebrated World and European Ranking titles in the fleet.